I cannot speak highly enough of L'Essentiel, from their food, to their service, to the beautiful decor and table settings. Service is welcoming and accommodating for my poor attempt at culinary French terms. The Chef even came out to answer questions at three occasions. First up, a trio of amuse bouches called land and sea. I don't typically like foie gras but this was incredible. I would actually order this again if ever back in Avignon. The Parmesan biscuit was technically amazing, with such subtle flavor, crispy on the outside, and soft, light and creamy inside. The mushroom "egg roll" was crispy, flaky with great umami. The Jerusalem artichoke risotto was my absolute favorite; I'll likely dream of this dish and try to replicate the recipe. It's unlike anything I've had before, so creative, unique and insanely delicious. The artichokes were cooked perfectly , tender but still firm. The risotto was actually a thick, creamy foam, packed with bold creamy flavor and truffles on top. The sea bream was glistening with the crispiest skin, along with carrots and a silky champagne sauce. The veal was so tender with the most delightful sweet onion tart. The tart was surprisingly good with the best onions I've ever had. Kudos to the chef for shopping the market everyday for the freshest and highest quality products! The scallops were sliced beautifully and were balanced so well with the acidity of raspberries and pomegranates. We started out with the strongest amuse bouches, and Chef didn't disappoint from there, maintaining and exceeding our palette's expectations. Chef Mohamad deserves a Michelin rank!! read more

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I went here eight years ago and it was really good. Wait staff were attentive, the food was good, the restaurant had great ambiance. Went back today and there must have been a change in owner and direction. The food was mediocre, there were only two wait staff for the entire restaurant and they could not keep up. The place was not full and they were turning people away which was good because they couldn't handle the volume as it was. We ordered the wine pairing, the wine server never brought our last wine, the other server apologized and brought us a liquor that was quite sad. Unfortunate because they still have a beautiful courtyard. read more

KenScale: 8.0/10 It's not often a restaurant boldly comes up with a name "essential". When I was looking up different restaurant options during our stay in Avignon, I initially chuckled at the name and figured why not give a chance at the place. My wife Jun and I were coming back from a full-day wine tasting tour with a rather big lunch, so we were not completely starving when we entered L'Essentiel's lovely courtyard. Still, we ended up having a very solid meal here, as all the dishes we ordered had something nice to say about. You can go with either one of the tasting menu options or simply go a la carte at L'Essentiel. Given that we weren't terribly hungry, Jun and I opted for the latter and ordered one appetizer, two main dishes and a dessert to share together. I don't know why we saw tomato gazpacho only just now near the tail end of our two-week honeymoon/summer vacation; in any event, the one that the kitchen put together was quite refreshing, perfect for a summer appetizer with mozzarella di buffalo cheese in the middle. While cod with orange sauce infused into jasmine and creamy polenta looked pedestrian in plating, there is no denying that the fish was expertly cooked with ideal temperature and texture. I was initially worried that the fried foie gras accompanying the beef Rossini filet might simply overpower the meat with too much richness, but the server assured that won't be the case. Listening to her turned out to be a smart idea because the foie gras had a surprisingly delicate side to it that complemented the beef filet quite well. With roasted potatoes on the side, the filet was a winner dish. For dessert, a rather artful display of chocolate ganache and crispy peanut on top of chocolate dulce emulsion (with black chocolate ice cream submerged below) was as delicious as it looked. I secured a reservation at L'Essential through my credit card concierge service so I don't know how difficult it is to get a table at the restaurant; if you want to go for al fresco dining in the summer season at the courtyard that makes you feel like you're eating inside a small but lovely palace, it does seem like a good idea to book in advance. There is a multi-page wine list focusing on the wines from the region; we ordered a bottle of nice vacqueyras that worked well with the dishes we had ordered. L'Essentiel is somewhere in the middle in terms of value proposition; it is not as pricey or fancy as three Michelin-star haute cuisine establishments but it certainly is more refined than an everyday bistro, which also means it works on a more variety of different occasions. If you are staying in Avignon and feel like you want to have an elegant meal without breaking the bank, L'Essential is a good option to consider. read more

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We ate here last night; I always love pre fix dinners. This one was quite affordable for our standards, either 37€ or 45€ depending on the main course you preferred. I actually liked the options better on the cheaper option and went with that. Overall, the service and presentation were fantastic. English menus and English speaking wait staff. The dessert was my favorite meal, but the appetizer and main course left much to be desired. While they were good and I ate it all, I felt that the tastes conflicted each other. For instance the cod had a heavy tomato compote under it that was great, but it really didn't pair well with the turnip purée under the vegetables. So that part seemed odd to me, although still an enjoyable meal. read more

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Our AirBNB host recommended L'Essentiel as a fine dining experience, and since he knows the town, we went with his recommendation. We didn't have a reservation, but got decidedly lucky, nabbing a table outside in the lovely garden area. The one English-speaking waitress of the evening and an English menu assisted us with the meal. I'm honestly not quite sure how the menu worked in terms of what was "included" or not, but we both had an amuse-bouche (a small complimentary "appetizer" from the chef), a "real" appetizer, entree (chicken, fish), and dessert. And also a pre-dessert (which seems like a fine idea). The pacing was just right - a bit leisurely, but not enough to have us itching with impatience. The patio was fairly quiet but lively, and just right on a warm summer evening. Though I'm mostly a "chocolate only" dessert lover, the trio of desserts featuring raspberries (with some chocolate) was spectacular visually, and the taste, particularly of the spun cotton-candy-like dish, was intense. We hadn't been sure we'd end up here, and in my opinion, we were underdressed for the beauty of the place and the other customers (I was wearing black Italian pants that are fine for travel but still seemed too casual for here). Had I planned ahead, it would have included a dressier top or even a summer dress or skirt. Ties not needed, but this isn't the spot for grunge, that's for sure. read more

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An outstanding meal, no doubt. True to the Provencale philosophy, we lingered, savored, and took our own sweet time. And the people at the restaurant loved us more for it, rather than less. The egg with truffles was sublime, memorable. We were four, and got to taste multiple dishes on the menu, all equally fabulous. The wine was also outstanding, and according to Jean-Michel, had some great value listings. Not my specialty, but felt damn good on the palate. The presentation is lovely, rendering the experience one of the highlights of a wonderful trip. We promptly recommended to other friends who were headed to Avignon the same week. read more

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A charming restaurant , run by a husband and wife team ( the latter running front of house). A slightly older crowd seem to provide the clientele, in part , one supposes, because it is not cheap - but nor is it full of loud tourists. I enjoyed a gorgeous starter of foie gras, followed by a superlative rack of lamb - quite definitely a contender for the loveliest piece of sheep I've ever eaten, all pink and succulent gorgeousness.A slightly disappointing chocolate and coffee pudding failed to delight if only because it lacked the mastery and flair of the first two courses. My better half had a cold sardine and potation brandade ( wierd, and not to my taste) , red snapper on polenta, and finished with a stonking choccy fondant pudding. All washed down with a very tasty vin de pays de vaucluse ( Guffens 2007, if you're interested), coming out at about 130 Euros, including a tip. I wouldn't hesitate to come back, and would recommend this place for a special meal in Avignon - but book ahead, particularly in the summer or around high days and holidays. read more

The service was excellent, zucchini flowers for entree were outstanding, the rack of lamb was unbelievably tender enhanced by an excellent pesto sauce. The chicken was also delicious and full of flavour. If there was one slight negative it was the fact that the restaurant was too hot and they did not use the air-conditioning. Unfortunately if you are a non smoker like us you have to avoid the outdoor fresh air dining options that are full of smokers and stick to the inside dining options. read more

L'Essentiel - The Chicken on a potato mash - French Near Me - Avignon, 84

The modern dinning room's french only menu will be nicely translated by the chef's wife and front of house. She is also a talented sommelier. Look for a 2011 Micheline Rosetta Threw down the classic provincial meal, that warm eggplant tomato shrimp situation, lamb and chocolate for the closer... read more

I read great things about this restaurant but boy did it disappoint. First off, the service was SO BAD because the restaurant was horribly understaffed in both the kitchen and dining room. There were 2 waiters with a party of ~15 people along with 4-5 other tables of small parties 2-4 people. All of the attention was given to the large party and everyone else in the restaurant was clearly annoyed by the lack of service. Our reservation was at 8pm and our first course was brought out at 9:15PM. The bread was given along with the appetizer... The food was decent (not what I expected) but the biggest disappointment was lack of creativity. My husband and I got the 3-course meal and the same yellow sauce was used in 2 appetizers and one entree. Overall, I recommend SKIPPING this spot, there are too many good restaurants in Avignon. read more

C'est magnifique! Service is impeccable, the modern design is welcoming. And the food? Just superb. This chef has an intuition for pairing flavors that will leave you breathless. Our appetizer, a lentil 'soup' with smoked haddock & a steamed egg satisfied every sense. The next course, a perfectly prepared chicken that forces you to wonder if you ever really tasted good chicken before. Honestly, one of the best meals I have had in my life. read more

We came down from Lyon to Avignon to take a tour thru the lavander fields. We found L' Essintiel on yelp and decided to take a road less traveled. And we are glad we did. First off, our meal was amazing. The fish dish I had was cook perfectly, my wife had the roasted chicken and it as also cooked perfectly. The service was also amazing, the best we have had in France. They took the time to explain the menu and they were friendly through out. Do yourself a favor, take the road less traveled by the tourist and stop in and have an amazing meal with exceptional service read more

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Very refined food. The things they did to make carrots interesting was amazing. This is part of an essential dining experience. The pigeon liver might be a bit strong for the inexperienced. read more

This was an unexpected surprise!! We strolled in around 12:30pm, found the patio mostly open and ordered escargot and the eggplant and Parmesan dish plus a glass of Regional rose. This was the most authentic French meal we've eaten in 10 days. Highly recommend this little piece of paradise to any traveler!! J&J from CA read more

This was my favorite meal in France so far. Since we are traveling with our tween and teen daughters we have kept it simple for many of our meals. For this meal we actually were looking mainly for air conditioning due to a record heat wave. With the reviews we knew it was going to be good, but it exceeded our expectations. They kindly accommodated our 16 y.o. vegetarian daughter with an amazing meal and our 12 y.o. daughter with a delicious "kids" meal. I got duck and my husband got steak which were cooked perfectly (by French standards). The starters and deserts were so good. My husbands fois gras with a strawberry coulis was excellent. All with a lovely bottle of 2013 Beaucastel Côte du Rhône. Perfect evening. read more

Fabulous spot!!! The food was absolutely delicious and the staff very accommodating. We turned up without a reservation (which is a must here and around Provence come summer time) and the fit us in for lunch the following day. The set menu was perfection. I highly suggest coming here if in Avignon, it was our fav after a four day stay. read more

We have had a great experience at L'essentiel. Dominique has been as wonderful as the wine she has advised us: elegant, meticoulous when describing wine and food. The butternut soup was a real surprise! We will for sure come back next time we are in Avignon! read more

4.5 star. Good food. Worth the money. Pri fixe Menu $48 a tab bit pretentious. Make reservations!!

Lovely dinner and beautifully presented. Be sure to make a reservation for the courtyard. This was the best place we ate in Avignon by far. The tuna steak was expertly prepared. Dessert was mange blanc topped by raspberry Coulis and raspberry cotton candy topping it all. Highly recommended. read more